Open-worldgaming has become a very lucrative genre for companies to participate in. There’s a reason why so many AAA developers splurge a ton of money to both develop and market these sandbox titles, hoping to ride the wave of positive critical and commercial reception to sell a large number of units.
This is whythe units shipped for certain gamescan be eye-watering, with fans finding it hard to fathom the sheer number of players who have experienced the magic of theseopen-worldgames. For the most part, the amount of love and care put into these games ensures that the high numbers are justified.
Cyberpunk 2077isone of the greatest open-world RPGsof all time, turning its reputation around after an infamous launch threatened to undo all the good PR CD Projekt Red had generated. Eventually, players could appreciate the amazing narrative of this open-world game that clearly had a ton of love poured into it.
As a result, the reception around CD Projekt Red’s game warmed, andCyberpunk 2077ended up selling upwards of thirty million units. It’s a testament to the studio’s never-say-die attitude that they convinced everyone to give this game a shot and a second chance, bolstered by Update 2.0 and thePhantom Libertyexpansion.
Thepower of theHarry PotterIPis incredible, and the fact thatHogwarts Legacymanaged to sell so many units on the back of this magical universe’s brand appeal alone is a testament to how genre-defining this franchise is.
Despite lacking some innovations to help its open world stand out from other titles in the genre, fans still couldn’t get enough ofHogwarts Legacyand flocked to it in droves. The amazing combat and an interactiveHarry Potterworld were more than enough for players to stick with this title till the very end.
Breath of the Wildis one of the best video games that fans can get their hands on. The innovations it made to the open-world genre were so staggering that it turned into a system seller in no time.
Fans lovedBreath of the Wildfor its amazing exploration and fun combat, among many other things that helped it stand out from the rest of the pack. With the Switch selling like hotcakes, it’s easy to see why this open-world game managed to sell so many units with ease.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimhas beenre-released so many timesthat it would be odd not to find it on this list. Bethesda is clearly proud of this game and has done everything in its power to inflate the game’s sales numbers as much as possible.
This open-world masterpiece is a blast to play through even now, especially if players download some curated mods to improve the experience. Either way,Skyrimwill always let players enjoy a magical time as they take on the role of the Dragonborn and help them save the world.
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntis CD Projekt Red’smagnum opusby a country mile. With engrossing European fantasy and a world brimming with interesting characters and monsters, the loyalty surrounding the finale of Geralt’s story was one that attracted players new and old for one of the most hyped video games ever made.
It helped thatThe Witcher 3delivered on this hype, letting fans enjoy one of the greatest video games ever made that fans can’t get enough of to this day. It has sold so many units that it would be hard to find a hardcore gamer who has never heard of this title before.
Rockstar’s work onRed Dead Redemption 2was out of this world, allowing fans to engage with one of the richest and most beautiful open worlds they could feast their eyes on. Arthur Morgan’s adventures are incredible to behold as players embark on the journey of a lifetimewith Dutch and his gang.
The emotional storytelling and patented Rockstar polish of this title turned it into a bestseller in no time. It’s arguably the best Rockstar game of all time, even if another popular product from this company has sold triple the number of units that this game has.
Grand Theft Auto 5was already poised to break into the mainstream and sell gangbusters. However, the true contributor to this game’s high sales is the revolutionaryGTA Onlinemode that has become way more popular than anyone could’ve expected.
This has reached a point where the single-player mode of this game isn’t the biggest draw. Rather, it’sGTA Onlinethat players shell out the big bucks for, causing this title’s sales to spike considerably and reach astronomical heights.
Minecraftis one of the most legendary indie titles of all time. A simple game about survival and crafting became an innovative gaming experience that has inspired many other genres ever since.
It wouldn’t be a stretch that games with survival and crafting gameplay loops owe a lot of their success toMinecraft, the game that started it all. The sheer pop culture appeal ofMinecraftcontributed to a ton of sales, eventually leading to Microsoft paying the big bucks to acquire this IP for themselves.
